If Ms. Nishizaki of the Hiroshima Film Commission were to guide movie lovers on a tour of filming locations in Hiroshima, it would be...

Let's start with the location of Last of the Wolves (孤狼の血 LEVEL2). In the film, the building is used as the office of Aki Shimbun (newspaper) where reporter Kosaka, played by Nakamura Shidou, works. The red-brick Nishi Ward Office is a familiar building to Hiroshima residents, and can be seen when passing by the Fukushima-machi streetcar stop. To make the building look like a newspaper company, a newspaper was pasted on the bulletin board and a telephone booth was set up during filming. The maverick reporter Kosaka, wearing a hunting cap and sunglasses, matches the building.

Next up is the location for the scene in Drive My Car where the actors rehearsed outdoors. It was filmed at the Peace Memorial Park, which you have probably heard of.

The park is a solemn place to visit. It has been used for filming several movies in the past because of its unique atmosphere, river, and greenery. The soft autumn sunlight was impressive at the time of filming and suited the mood of the movie very well. The fallen leaves laid out on the stage at the climax of the film were hastily collected at the time of filming. Cleanup crews also helped with this project.

In Drive My Car, the scene where driver Misaki (played by Toruko Miura) is introduced to Iefuku (played by Hidetoshi Nishijima) was shot at the Hiroshima International Conference Center in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

Since an international film festival was to be held there, a location with a hall was selected as a candidate for shooting. Aster Plaza was also a candidate, but the presence of a roundabout was a deciding factor because we needed to shoot scenes  where the car was being driven. It was interesting to think about what was needed to shoot the scene.

We return again to the locations for The Blood of Wolves. In Kure City, where many scenes of The Blood of Wolves and Last of the Wolves (孤狼の血 LEVEL2) were shot, the Yaccharekai party scene hosted by the Ninsei Association in The Blood of Wolves was shot at the Kure Morisawa Hotel. The powerful “taiko” drum performance was given by the "Taiko Honpo Kaburaya," a local taiko drumming company. The sound of the taiko enhances the tension of the scene. Both films are set in a fictional town named Kurehara City.

The Yellow Building is where the sets were built for "Club Riko", the restaurant of “Mama” (Bar's Lady Owner) Rikako Takagi, played by Yoko Maki in The Blood of Wolves. It was also where was set "Stand Hana", the hostess bar of Mama Mao Chikada, played by Nanao Nishino in Last of the Wolves (孤狼の血 LEVEL2). Filming took place in a vacant storefront. The building has a yellow exterior just like its name, so it is unlikely that you will get lost on your visit. Many restaurants are usually open for business as well. You can enjoy a drink at the restaurant while remembering the sexy Mama Rikako and the somewhat wholesome Mama Mao.